JTech780

Well first off he hasn't been a PPG in 6 seasons so I don't think that is on the table, that's not who he is anymore. Secondly who are we going to take off the top PP unit to fit Neal? I also don't think he has played better than anyone in the top 6 to displace them. He was given chances on the 2nd line and really didn't do much of anything on that line.

I didn't say you did. I think a lot of their struggles offensively on that trip can be summed up with the fact that they only had 4 PP's on the trip and 3 of those came against Anaheim. I mean if you feel like their offense has completely dried up or you think Neal has played well, but just hasn't played with the right players you could try these lines, just for the record I don't think either criteria is true. Gaudreau-Monahan-Neal Tkachuk-Lindholm-Bennett Frolik-Backlund-Ryan Dube-Jankowski-Hathaway IMO that looks like a step backwards to the top 6. I think Gaudreau and Monahan will get their points, but I think putting Neal on that line means they will have the puck less often. I also think Lindholm's production will go down as he has developed great chemistry with Monahan. I think you will see his production end up being similar to what Backlund is producing on that line. At best I see those changes as lateral moves.

My bad Tkachuk and Backlund are tied for 2nd on the team with 9 points each at 5v5. I think people are really under rating how much having Backlund on Tkachuk's line allows him to play in the offensive zone. As much as people think that Backlund has struggled this year he is still our forward at getting the puck going in the right direction.

Tkachuk is leading the team with 13 5on5 points. He is also getting the 2nd highest offense zone percentage, at just over 58%, of any forward on the team, so the idea that he is being burried defensively is flat out wrong.

Tkachuk is a point per game player for the first time in his career and is leading the team in scoring but yet Peters is holding him back by playing him with Backlund the team's 2nd best center? You might want to double check your logic because it doesn't add up.

Yeah it's the NHL you can't play a player on the top line just because he is pouting, that's little league behavior. I agree you need to put players in positions to succeed, but taking the team's leading goal scorer off the top line to get a guy who doesn't show up to play most nights going just doesn't make any sense.

I also heard it on the morning show. Rhett was saying that Neal probably feels like he doesn't need to earn his ice time because he is a proven vet, but that the coach is saying that everyone earns their playing time. He said that Neal probably just isn't going to fit in with this coach. Boomer made a comment that Friedman said that Neal has a bit of a reputation for being pouty when he doesn't get his way.

If you listen to Sportsnet 960 the general consensus is that Neal hasn't played well enough and that he needs to up the effort level.

There is no possible way you can say that Neal has played well or given any kind of effort. I don't get it, with Gulutzan every one was complaining that he gave veterans ice time and played them when they didn't deserve it. Now we are complaining that Peters is holding players accountable and making everyone earn their playing time. Which one is it? I wouldn't play Neal in the top 6 because he just hasn't earned it. I would get him going by setting him up for one timers on the 2nd PP.

I think putting Neal on the top line is a horrible idea, first of all it would really slow down that line, Monahan isn't the fastest guys and Neal is even slower, secondly Gaudreau and Monahan are already suspect in their own zone, Neal is easily the worst defensive forward on the team, if you put Neal on the top line they will end up chasing the puck a lot. I just don't see the fit for Neal on that line. IMO Neal has been a very lazy player, I never thought of him as being a fast player, but I didn't think he was this slow. He makes Tkachuk and Monahan look like speedsters. I do put majority of the blame for Neal's lack of scoring on Neal, he just hasn't been good enough. I guess you can try him on the top line but I wouldn't expect anything different than what you already getting from him.

Neal's effort level is seriously lacking, IMO he doesn't belong in the top 6 because he hasn't earned it. It isn't even that he isnt scoring, where is the pain in the Hash Rate Neal that everyone hates playing against? Most nights he is basically invisible. I am hopeful he will work his way out of it, but so far this signing is worse than the Brouwer signing.

Credit where credit is due, Smith has been the best player on the ice for Flames so far.

This is a great article in regards to Smith. I would have to agree that Smith looks like he is trying to hard.

We could try our luck with Lack again. Of course I am just kidding, as bad as Smith has been he hasn't been Eddie Lack bad. Also I don't think Lack would be all that excited to come to a Bill Peters coached team.